Signal mechanism for block-signal systems.



No! 772,543. PATENTED OCT. 18, 1904.

J. WEATHBRBY, JR-

SIGNAL MECHANISM FOR BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEMS.

' APPLICATION FILED 1120.10, 1903.

NO MODEL,

- 7 Inventor i Witnesses Attorney No. 772,548. PATENTED 001 18, 1904.

J. WEATHBRBY, JR. SIGNAL MECHANISM FOR BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED DEGJO, 1903.

N0 MODEL 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

56/ 7 55 Inven-tm' v Witnesses wwm By C I Attorney UNITED STATES Patented October 18, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

I JOSEPH WEATHERBY, JR, OF NEW CUMBERLAND, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNOR TO THE WEATHERBY ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTUR- IN G COMPANY, OF NEW CUMBERLAND, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO- RATION OF DELAWARE.

SIGNAL MECHANISM FOR BLOCK-SIGNAL SYSTEMS.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,548, dated October 18, 1904. Application filed December 10, 1903. Serial No. 18 L646. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

' Be it known that I, JOSEPH WEATHERBY, Jr.

a citizen of the United States, residing at New Cumberland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedv certain new and useful Improvements in Signal Mechanism for Block-Signal Systems; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

.This invention relates to signal mechanism for block-signal systems, and particularly to signal mechanism of that character in which a semaphore or approved type of signaling device or indicator is electrically operated by a moving car to show whether or not the block is clear, the present device being especially designed foruse in connection with electric block-signal systems'of the type shown in my prior patent, No. 748,824, dated January 5, 1904:.

. The object of the invention is to provide a signaling apparatus which is simple of construction, efficient and positive in action, and not liable to become deranged in use and in which the signaling device per 86 is adapted to be projected with a minimum throw of the operating element and to be automatically retracted by gravity, thus dispensing with the use of springs and other elements which are liable to become broken or deleteriously affected by climatic changes.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be more particularly described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a View in elevation looking toward one side of my improved signal device. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3 301? Fig. 1. 4 is a side elevation showing one of the doors of the signal-box thrown open to expose one of the sets of signaling devices. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of one of the doors and the semaphore and its operating means carried thereby. Fig. 6 is an inner side elevation of the same, and Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of the target throwing and releasing means.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the signal box or casing, consisting in the present instance ofa cylindrical body portion 2, closed at its sides by flat circular or disk shaped doors 3 and 4, which are hinged, as shown at 5, to swing open to the position shown in Fig. 3 and are adapted to be locked in closed position by any preferred type of locking means. These doors form the signal-fronts of the box, which face in opposite directions along the trackway and are provided with sight-openings 3 and L to display signals to the in and out bound cars traveling in opposite directions along the trackway. From this it will be observed that the device, as shown, is designed for use on single-track railways having turnouts; but it will of course be understood that separate boxes for the opposite signals may be used at the junctions or stations for doubletrack railways. Each box is provided at its base with a hollow pivot-stud or trunnion 6, adapted to fit and turn within a socket 7 upon a bracket 8, mounted upon supporting-post 9, whereby the box may be turned horizontally to set at any desired angle to suit theline of the trackway, a set-screw 10 being provided to impinge against said stud and hold the box firmly in adjusted position. The box supports and contains two sets of signaling devices for the in and out bound cars, respectively. These signaling devices are similar in construction, and as adescription of one will suffice for both I will proceed to describe only one of them, which I will term the outbound signaling devices, the corresponding parts of the other, or inbound, signaling devices being indicated by corresponding primed numerals of reference. Thus it will be observed that the sight opening in the door 3, facing the outbound cars, is closed by a glass panel 13, which is held in place by an annular clamping-frame 14E, having an inturned annular flange 15, forming a casing or chamber to receive said panel, the latter being clamped at its edge against opposite cushioned fillers 16, preferably formed by rings of ordinary insulated wire interposed between the panel and the wall of the box and the flange. The frame 14 also has an outer flange 17, through which screws or other like fastenings are passed to secure it to the door, andis provided with a hood 18 to protect said panel and prevent obscuration of the panel by sun or other interfering light-rays.

Extending from the inner side of the door is a bearing or pivot-stud 19, on which turns a hub or sleeve 20, to which is fixed the red target disk or semaphore 21, the said hub or sleeve being detachably held upon the stud by a securing-screw 22. On the lmb or sleeve is formed a head 23-, having two rows or series of concentric holes or seats 24 and 25 and a contact-pin 26, which is adapted to be fitted into either one of said holes or seats. This pin acts in the nature of a crank, which is acted upon by an operating-arm 27 to project or throw the disk 21,which is restored by gravity to its normal or release position by arms 28 and 29, radiating atright angles from the hub 20, said arms carrying adjustable weights 30 and 31, whereby upon the release of the pin 26 by the arm 27 the disk will be swung from its projected position, in which it is in register with the panel 13, as seen in Fig. 6, to its normal position below the panel, as seen in Fig. 3. By means of the adjustable connection of the pin 26 and the weights 30 and 31 the throw of the target-disk may be easily regulated and a sensitiveness of action secured to accord with the extent of throw or movement of the arm 27. Moreover, this construction enables the target-disk to be projected with a minimum throw of the operating-arm and movement of its actuating-armature and dispenses with the use of retracting-springs or other elements which are liable to be deleteriously affected by climatic changes. Stops 32 and 33, respectively, limit the up and down movements of the target-disk.

The arm 27 is carried by the pivoted armature 34 of a controlling-electromagnet 35, mounted in a suitable supporting-frame 36, secured to the inner side of the door, said armature being pivoted at 27 to said frame. WVhen said magnet is energized and attracts the armature, the arm 27 is swung on the pivot 27 to throw the target-disk. On the other hand, when the magnet is deenergized and the armature moves outward therefrom the weighted arms swing the target-disk back to its normal position. It will be observed that the target-disk and the means for directly operating the same are mounted upon the door, so that by simply swinging the door open access may be conveniently obtained to said disk and operating means for repairing or renewing injured or worn-out parts. It will also be observed that the arm 27 is not mechanically connected to the pin 26, but has a sliding or shifting engagement with the same. This allows the pin to move freely in a. curved path in a plane at an angle to the movement of and relatively to the arm without binding of the arm or any connecting part, thus making it easier of operation than if it had a positive mechanical connection with the arm.

On the interior of thebody portion 2 of the box or casing are incandescent or equivalent lamps 37, in rear of which is a background or reflector 38. This background or reflector preferably consists of a white panel of porcelain or frosted glass and is interposed between the two sight-openings 3 and 4, so that it will act as a background or reflector for both sets of lamps and signaling devices. The light from the lamps shows white through the sightpanel or bulls-eye 13 when the target-disk is lowered and red when said target-disk is elevated to come between the lamps and sightpanel. By the use of a white background or reflector of the character stated both the white or colorless light and the red light are made to show with great distinctness for a consider able distance from the box or station, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the signal. As shown, the white background or rellectorpanel is supported intermediate the two sets of lamps 37 and 37 by hangers 3i), suitably secured to the casing-body 2. The lamps and electromagnets are included in an electric circuit, of which only the conductors are herein shown, the leaders or supply members 40 of said conductors extending to the exterior through the hollow pivot-stud 6. In order to protect the lamps and electromagnets against lightning and other electrical currents of abnormal strength, a fuse or terminal block 41 is provided at one end of the box or casing.

The various wires connecting the lamps and electromagnets are attached to binding-posts or terminals 42 upon said block 41, and said terminals are connected by fuses 43, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Alightning-arrester strip 44, having a ground connection through the box or casing and the post on which the latter is mounted, is also secured to said block 41 adjacent to said terminals or binding-posts 42. The signal mechanism, as shown, is designed to operate upon the regular trolleycireuit of five hundred and fifty volts direct; but it will be understood that the same may be adapted to be operated by any voltage by increasing or decreasing the number of incandescent lamps in circuit with the magnets. In practice the operating connections may be of the type shown in my prior patent, No. 748,824, before referred to, in which circuitclosers operated by the trolleys of the cars control circuit make and break devices which govern the operation of the target-operating magnets in such manner that the in and out bound signals will be set and retracted by -ars traveling in opposite directions to indicate when each block is occupied and when it is clear. These connections are not herein shown, for the reason that they form no part of the present invention, which relates to the signal device per 86.

' A casing 45 is mounted on the top of the signal-bo'X, with openings at both ends in which clear glass panels 16 and 47 are placed. A partition 48 is placed in the middle of the casing'to prevent light from either side penetrating to the opposite chamber. 50 are provided in both chambers, connected by wires 51, 52,and 53; The'object of these lamps is to provide a signal to an approaching car to show if another car has preceded it in the block. The action of the same is as follows: When a car enters the block, it sets a red signal at the far end of the block and releases a red signal at the near end of the block or lamp 49, if it enters in the opposite direction at the near end of the block. Should a second car now follow the first car in block, a

the construction and operation of the invenwarning to proceed with caution is given by the fact that the lamp &9 or is burning.

The lamps 4.9 and 50 are preferably colored green, so as to have a separate color for each signal. A green semaphore may replace the lamps inside the signal-box, mounted alongside the red semaphore, without departing from the principle stated. The lamps 49 and 50 are connected in seriesby the leads 51, 52,

and 53 with the signals in the far ends of the block in both directions.

From the foregomg descrlption, taken in connectlon with the accompanying drawings,

tion will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my .invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A signal apparatus having a sight-opening, a combined signal and reflector behind said opening, a target adapted to come between said signal and reflector and the sightopening, and a light-generator between the sight-opening and the said signal and reflector, and adapted to be arranged between the latter and target when said target is moved into register with the sight-opening, substantially 3. A signal apparatus comprising a casing Lamps 49 and generators on opposite sides of said reflector,

and targets adapted to move between the said 1 light-generators and sight-openings, substantially as described. I

4. In a signal apparatus, the combination with a supporting member provided with a socket, of a signal-lantern containing an elec-' tric illuminator and having atrunnion fitting in said socket and adapted to turn therein to permit said lantern to be set to correspond to the line of the trackway, lead-wires extending through said hollow trunnion and into the lantern, and means'for holding'the trunnion against movement and the lantern in adjusted position, substantially as described. 5. "A signal apparatus comprising a casing, a door hinged thereto and provided with a sight opening, light supplying means arranged within the casing, and semaphore mechanism carried by the door and accessible when the door is swung open, substantially as described.

6, An electric railway-signal havinga controlling-magnet, an armature operated thereby, a swinging target having a crank member, and a vibrating arm actuated by, the armature and in sliding engagement with the crank member, whereby, when the arm is vibrated, the said crank member may move in a curved path and relatively to the arm without connection therewith to set or retract said swinging target, substantially as described.

ing radially therefrom and adapted by its excess of weight to assume by gravity a normal or retracted position, a crank-pin projecting from the side of the rotary member at right angles to said semaphore, an electromagnet, an armature operated thereby, and an arm actuated by the armature and actuating said crank-pin, substantially as described.

8. An electric railway-signal having a controlling-magnet, an armature operated thereby, a rotary member, a target carried by the rotary member, a. crank-pin radially adjust able upon the rotary member, and an arm operated by the armature to engage and operate the crank-pin and having a shifting engagement with said crank-pin, substantially as described.

9. An electric railway-signal having a controlling-magnet, an armature operated thereby, a rotary member, a target carried by the rotary member, a crank-pin radially and circumferentially adjustable upon the rotary member, an arm operated by the armature to engage and operate the crank-pin, and having a shifting engagement with said crankpin, substantially as described.

10. An electric railway-signal having a controlling magnet, a pivoted armature operated thereby, a rotary member provided with a head or disk, a target carried by the rotary member, a crank-pin ad justably mounted upon said head or disk, and an arm carried by the armature to engage and operate said crankpin to project the target, substantially as described.

11. An electric railway-signal comprising a signal-box, a casing upon said signal-box, lamps respectively in said box and casing, and conductors extending into the box and casing for supplying an electric current to said lamps, substantially as described.

12. An electric railway-signal having a con trolling-magnet, a rotary member provided With radially and circumferentially arranged seats, a crank-pin adapted to engage either of said seats, and an arm operated by the magnet and adapted to operate saidcrank-pin,

said arm having a shifting engagement with said pin, substantially as described.

13. An electric railway-signal having a 0011-. trolling-magnet, a rotary member, an armature operated by the magnet, and an operating connection between said rotary member and magnet, said connection comprising members, one having a shifting engagement with the other member and an adjustable connection with the rotary member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesscs.

JOSEPH \VEA'll'lERBY, JR. Witnesses:

C. C. HINns, J. A. G-nnasnanmz, Jr. 

